50. Thursday, May 30
Alexander
It’s Sam’s big day. I’ve arranged everything so I can be there for her jury presentation. I won’t be allowed into the room with her, but I want her to feel my support. Emelyne and Mara won’t be there—Emelyne has her own exam at the Fine Arts school at three p.m.
I moved the board meeting up to nine a.m., thinking I’d have enough margin.
But nothing goes according to plan.
Standing in front of the sixteen board members, I focus on the agenda: presenting the recovery plan David and I finalized late last night.
They all watch me, closed faces, scrutinizing eyes. I begin.
Twenty minutes of tense silence.
Then the questions start coming, and everything slips out of my control.
The growth projections are challenged. The return on investment deemed too uncertain. The communication strategy questioned.
Time stretches. We drift.
A dull anxiety settles in my chest. Sam goes at two p.m. At Richelieu. It’ll take me between thirty minutes and an hour to get there.
I check my watch. Eleven thirty.
At this pace, we’ll never finish in time.
“Mr. Delaunay, you still haven’t explained how you plan to manage a minus fifteen percent underperformance,” Ms. Bertau cuts in.
I answer mechanically.
Fluctuations. Temporary variations. A return to normal.
Words I’ve learned. Repeated. Designed to reassure.
My mind is elsewhere.
Sam is probably already there, reviewing her presentation. Nervous, no doubt, and above all, alone.
“Mr. Delaunay?”
I blink and snap back to the meeting.
“I’m sorry… could you repeat that?”
Silence falls. Heavy. Glances are exchanged.
David steps in to answer for me.
Eleven fifty. I’m going to be late.
Panic tightens my chest. I consider leaving the meeting before it ends, but that would be disastrous for my image. A lack of commitment. A strategic mistake.
David catches my agitation and shoots me a worried look.
Noon.
I’ve made my decision. Sam is my priority.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please excuse me,” I say. “It’s noon. This meeting has run well past the scheduled time. I have another commitment—my fiancée is taking her exam in two hours, and I want to be there for her.”
The board members stare at me, surprised, but I don’t linger.
I turn to David.
“You can take over?”
“Of course,” he replies.
I’m already on my feet. I offer a quick goodbye and rush out.
The hallway. Surprised looks. I don’t explain.
The elevator. The underground garage.
The car is waiting. I get in, and Gilles pulls away immediately.
“There’s traffic.”
“I know. Do your best.”
I pull out my phone, heart pounding. My fingers tremble.
Alexander: Leaving the office now. Heavy traffic. GPS says arrival around one p.m.
Three dots appear. Disappear. Then reappear.
Sam: Thank you.
And I understand what she doesn’t say.
Thank you for making yourself available for me.
For making me your priority.
For keeping me informed.